1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of filleting of fish comprising the steps of conveying the fish tail forwards and cutting free the fillets by performing belly filleting cuts, back filleting cuts, and rib cuts and severing the fillets thus cut free from the bone skeleton of the fish by means of severing cuts, and to a filleting machine for performing the process, comprising conveyor means to convey fish tail forwards, belly filleting knife means, a back filleting knife means, rib cutting knife means, first severing knife means for severing through flesh of the fish, second severing knife means for severing the fish at the tail root thereof.
2. Description of Prior Art
In known processes for filleting fish, rib cuts start at the abdominal cavity end at the side of the tail and leave a trough-like depression at this point in every fillet. The piece of flesh cut out of the fillet remains on the bone skeleton and represents a measurable loss of flesh yield. The trough-like depression comes into being through the parts of the fish connected with the back-bone through a respective tape of flesh, which remains uncut laterally beside the vertebrae of the back-bone between belly filleting knives, and back-filleting knives, disposed closely behind the end of the abdominal cavity, do not let themselves be raised exactly into the planes of the rib knives. German Letters Pat. No. 943 612 discloses a fish filleting machine comprising a severing apparatus arranged behind the rib knives severing through these flesh tapes. However, this severing apparatus is arranged behind the rib knives, so that these have to cut into the unsevered band or strip of flesh to the sides of the vertebral column.